Fibrous plant decorticating machine



F. ONElLL, JR- FIBROUS PLANT DECORTICATINGMACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.18, I918.

Patented J 11116 20, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F. ONEILL, 1E. FI'BROUS PLANT DECORTICATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR, 18, 1918.

1,420,136. Patented June 20,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNHEH P @FFICE.

FIBBOUS PLANT DECOHTICATING MACHINE.

Application filed April 18,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l. FRANK Ohlninn, Jr, a citizen of the United States and resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and in the State of Pennsylvania, have in vented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fibrous .l 'lant Dccorticating Machines. and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to machinery for decorticating various fiber bearing plants such as agave, sisal, abaca. pine-apple leaves, etc, and more particularly my object is to provide a readily portable hand operated machine although its construction whereby the fiber can be recovered with a minimum of loss or injury is adaptable to larger machines, whether portable or stationary and whether driven by other power than hand, and for the attainment of the objects of my invention which. generally stated are first, a machine of high ef'liciency and economy, and, second, a readily portable machine, my invention consists in a decorticating machine constructed. substantially as hereinafter specified and claimed.

in the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1. is a top plan view of a small portable machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line of Fig. l. on a larger scale;

Figs. 4: and 5 are detail. views in cross sec tion showing two constructions of deccrticating blades that may be used;

Fig. 6 a cross section of one of the shredding blades;

Fig. 7 is a detail. view in elevation of a portion of one of the shredding blades;

Fig. 8 isa detail view showing the feed controlling mechanism.

Describing th invention illustrated in the drawings it is of a size enabling it to be readily lifted and transported from place to place according to the requirements of the work and it therefore has a frame composed of parallel longitudinally extending side bars 64: whose extremities are formed into lifting handles 65 and legs 66 at each end preferably foldable upon which. when extended th machine rests.

At one end ofthe machine is a feed table which consists of a light frame of iron composed of parallel side bars 67 and a trans- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2-0, 1922..

1918. Serial No. 229 353.

verse bar 68 connecting the side bars at their outer ends and an apron 69 of flexible ma terial which at one end. is attachedv to said cross bar and at its other end is fastened to a shaft or drum '70 journaled at its opposite ends in the side bars 64. The feed table frame is longitudinally slidable between the side bars 64. so as to enable the table to be slid wholly in between said side bars to render the machine as compact as possible for transportation, or rather the side bars of the feed table frame are thus slidable for the apron is wound on the shaft or drum 70 when it is desired to reduce the bulk of the machine. FlillCl winding shaft is provided at one end with a crank 71 for revolving it. A bracket or arm 72 projecting inward from each side bar 64% supports the adjacent side bar of the feed table in its sliding movement. Just beyond the roller or drum 70 is a pair of upper and lower shredding or slitting rollers 73, one of which is journaled in fixed hearings on the side bars 64 and the other in vertically movable spring pressed bearings so that the two rollers are pressed yieldin'gly together. Said rollers consist of spaced thin cutting disks mounted on a shaft that are kept clean by brushes 74. Beyond the shredding rollers is a pair of upper and lower pressure. flattening feed rollers T also mounted I'CSpGClllYGlY in fixed and spring pressed bearings. and which are kept clean by scrapers 7 6.

From the feed rolls the plants are delivered to and subjected to the action of devices which bend the plants first in one direction and then in the other so as to fracture the woody portions of the plant and loosen the same from the fiber and. subject the same to a scraping treatment the result being the separation of the fiber by a gentle yet efficient treatment that avoids injury and loss. Said device consists of two similar endless series of thin plates of blades 76 and coacting bars 77. blades and bars of a series alternating, and acting on the plants in different planes. and a blade of one series coming opposite and cooperating with a bar of the other series. The blades and bars of each series are carried by sprocket chains or belts 78 which pass over sprocket wheels 79 on parallel shafts 80 supported in bearings upon the side bars 64 of the frame. To render the action a gentle. one a cushioned support for the plants under the thrust of the blade is provided by mounting the coacting bar on springs 81, which yieldingly press the bar towards the blade, and blades and bars are also pressed. yieldingly together by means of a spring supported straight bar or rail 82 for each series over which the sprocket chains travel during the time the blades and bars are coacting.

For imparting the traveling movement to the two series 01" bars and blades, a crank shaft 83 is journaled. in bearings at the far end of the machine and provided with a crank 84: on each end and upon said she {'t if; a pinion 85 which meshes with a gear 86 on one of the shafts 80 and said go in turn meshing with a similar 88 on tlie'adjacent shaft 80.

Upon each of the other shafts 80 towards the feed end of the machine are pinious S9 and 90 respectively with either ol which is adapted to mesh an idler gear 91 constantly in mesh with a gear on the upper feed roll shaft and thus motion is trans mitted to the feed rolls and the latter turned in one direction or other according to which of the pinions S9 and 90 the idler meshes.

Said idler gear is journalcd in. a lever 1 which is pivoted on the 11131301, teed roll shaft SO as at all times to maintain the idler gear in mesh with the gear on said shaft and a notched bracket 94- is provided, to engage the idler gear swinging lever to hold the latter in position to mesh the idler gear with either pinion 89 and 90 or with neither of them should it not be desired to drive the feed rolls "from either of said. pinions S9 and 90.

()n the upper feed roll shaft is a sprocket wheel 95 which is connected by a chain to a sprocket wheel 97 on the upper shredding roll shaft and thus motion is imparted to the latter, the two shredijling rolls be ng geared together by spur gears 99. Spur gears 99 gear the two teed rolls together.

As best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the decorticating blades '76 are presented to the plants in a slanting position or at an oblique angle. and the slant is in the direction of travel of the blades in coacting with their bars 77. Inasmuch as in the operation of the machine, the direction of travel oi the blades is reversed. this slantwise position ol" the blades during action 'nay be secured either by the double oppositely inclined arrangement of stationarily mounted blade shown in Fig. or as shown in Fig. 1: by pivoting the blades 76 on its longitudinal axis at its code to the sprocket chains so that it may swing to the desired angle dependent upon the direction in which it is traveling. and such wringing of the blade may be automatically accomplished. and the blade maintained during action in the position to which it may he swung by causing its heel toslidc upon the adjacent surface of the bar 82.

If desired hackling members or devices may be applied to the sprocket chains or belts 78, the hackling member being in the term of a cross bar 100 for cooperating with a bar '77 carried by the opposing belt 78 and having on its edge towards the bar 77 short teeth 101 which will be self clearing. Said ackling bars are provided to act on both sides of the material.

At one end of the machine farthest from the "feed table 1' provide a clamp consisting of a pair of parallel bars 102 one of which is stationarily supported on the side bars 16 of the frame, while the other is movahly sup ported so that it may be moved towards and from its mate, and thus opened for the inertion. of the cleaned end portions of the fiber and then clamped thereupon, roci ng cams 103 belng provided for this purpose and having each a handle I l l; by which it may be rocked. The opposite tiber ei'igaging faces ot the clan'iping bars are preferably corrugated so as to take a firm grip upon the plants and to hold them under the pull of the decorticating devices when acting upon the plant.

in the use of a machine having the construction shown in the drawii'igs the plants or leaves tip end first are passed first to the shredding rolls and then to the feed rolls which are so geared that they catch and feed the leaves forward and into the decorticating devices, the movement of the various parts of the machine beingaffected by the cranks on the crank shaft at the tar end of the machine. The speed of the bars and blades of the decorticating devices is faster than the speed of the feed rolls so that there is a longitudina scraping action on both sides oi. the leaves simultaneously, such operation beginning; with the tops of the leaves and proceeding towards the butt ends. The speed oi this action is a slow one and hence no jerkingand objectionable straining on the fibers occurs.

iVhen the leaves have passed almost through the feeding and flattening rolls, the lever 93 is raised to place the idler gear 91 in a neutral position so as to stop the feeding action and then the action of? the decorticating mechanism is continued until all portions of the leaves or plants within their reach are perfectly clean. When that is accomplished, the operator opens the clamp bars, lowers the lever 93 to again restore the meshing engagement of the gears by which motion is transmitted to the teed rolls and resuming the turning of the cranks, the feed of the material continues until the same passes beyond the grip of the feed rolls; and the clean forward end of the fibers can be inserted between and grasped by the clamping bars. and then the crank is turned in the opposite direction to cause the decort-icating blades and bars to act upon the butt end portions of the plants which up to that time have not been within reach of the decorticatinp; devices.

Having thus described my invention what 1 claim is:

1. A machine of the class described having decorticatingdevices comprising means for subjecting the plants alternately to a combined bending and scraping action, said means comprising two series of blades and members with blade opposing surfaces, the blades and members alternating in succcssion, means for moving' said blades and mem bers lengthwise of the plants, and feed. rolls having; a relatively sl wer motion than that of said blades and members.

2. A machine of the class described having deccrticating devices comprising means for SlllfljeClllllQ the plants alternately to a combined. bending and scraping action, said means comprising two series of blades and members with blade opposing surfaces, the blades and members alternating in succession, means for mo vin g said plants and members lengthwise of the plants, and feed rolls having a relatively slower motion than that of said blades and members, the direction of revolution of said rolls being changeable at will.

3. A machine of the class described having travelingdccorticating devices, means for feeding the material to be operated on to said devices at one end thereof, and station.- arily mounted means to clamp the material situated at the opposite end of said devices.

4;. A machine of the class described having traveling decorticatinp; devices, feed rolls for (:lelivering the material to said devices at one end thereof, and a stationarily mounted clamp situated at the other end of said de vices operable at will to engage the material.

:7. A machine of the class described having traveling decoi'ticating devices arranged in two endless series, and means for causing movement of said two series of devices alternately in either direction.

6. A machine of the class described-having traveling decoiticating devices arranged in two endless series, means for causing movement of said two series of devices alternately in either direction, and means for connecting and disconnecting the feed rolls with the traveling decorticating devices.

7. A machine of the class described having opposing traveling decorticating members one of which has a blade form and which while coacting with its opposing member inclines forward. in the direction of its travel, the direction of travel of said members being reversible.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of decorticating devices, a frame having side members, a feed table comprising a longitudinally shiftable frame, a flexible apron attached at one end to said frame, and a winding roller to which the other end of said apron is attached.

9. A machine of the class described having traveling decortica-ting devices and rotatable feed rolls, and means under manual control for moving the decorticating devices at a faster speed than that of the feed rolls.

10. A machine of the class described having traveling decorticating devices, means for feeding material to the latter, and a slitting member independent of and located in advance of the feeding means.

11. A machine of the class described having a traveling decorticating device, means for feeding material to the latter, and slitting means located in advance of the feeding means and comprising a pair of opposed rollers, each having a transversely extending series of spaced cutting disks.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK ONEILL, JR. 

